Developing opportunities for LAr discovery science at the Boulby Underground Laboratory
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
This proposal will explore and develop the opportunity to bring new world-leading, international experiments to the UK and to the Boulby Underground Laboratory in the areas of direct dark matter detection, neutrino physics, and novel instrumentation development through the use of liquid argon time projection chambers and cutting-edge silicon photosensor and charge pixel readout technologies.
The proposed work will engage the international experimental communities to capture the ambitions and requirements for any future large-scale liquid argon science programme that could be pursued, and through close collaboration with staff at the Boulby Underground Laboratory ensure that the development of the Laboratory is directed to enable these opportunities.
This proposal will explore the feasibility and design requirements to exploit both the existing laboratory space at Boulby to develop an experimental testbed facility for the development of new instrumentation technologies; determine the requirements for the construction of a cryostat at Boulby to host a new dark matter / neutrino physics experiment; and perform and document the necessary studies to both:
(i) develop the concept designs for siting such an experiment with world-leading scientific discovery potential in the next decade within a future expansion of the Boulby laboratory, and
(ii) promote the UK and Boulby to the international community as a credible site for future large-scale scientific investment in these areas and to attract an international user base to the UK.
The proposed work will engage the international experimental communities to capture the ambitions and requirements for any future large-scale liquid argon science programme that could be pursued, and through close collaboration with staff at the Boulby Underground Laboratory ensure that the development of the Laboratory is directed to enable these opportunities.
This proposal will explore the feasibility and design requirements to exploit both the existing laboratory space at Boulby to develop an experimental testbed facility for the development of new instrumentation technologies; determine the requirements for the construction of a cryostat at Boulby to host a new dark matter / neutrino physics experiment; and perform and document the necessary studies to both:
(i) develop the concept designs for siting such an experiment with world-leading scientific discovery potential in the next decade within a future expansion of the Boulby laboratory, and
(ii) promote the UK and Boulby to the international community as a credible site for future large-scale scientific investment in these areas and to attract an international user base to the UK.
Organisations
| Description | Particle Physics Schools Masterclass 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 300 students aged 16--18 attended a one day particle physics masterclass held at the University of Manchester, along with teachers. The activity involved volunteers from undergraduate students, postgraduate students and academic staff from the Physics Department. This included a series of lectures, Q&A sessions, hands-on computing sessions with Open Data from the LHC, tours of our DarkSide, LHCb and ATLAS labs and discussions with lab staff, a virtual visit and discussion session with researchers at CERN, particle physics interactive demonstrations. School students stated that they found the day inspiring and enthused them for studying Physics at University. Teachers and school groups now regularly return every year. Some schools now incorporate this masterclass into their curriculum and teaching and it has featured in a Deep Dive for a local school in assessment. Organisational findings have been shared as part of an IoP workshop series run by Manchester staff members. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://indico.global/event/4168/ |